Device for unrolling a coil of material in sheet form

ABSTRACT

A device for unrolling an elastic material in sheet form from a roll has a frame that has a series of roller members, the axes of which are essentially parallel. The series of roller members is arranged in accordance with a curved path that adjoins an out-feed such that the roll can be supported by the series of roller members and the material in sheet form can be unrolled from the roll via the out-feed.

[0001] The invention relates to a device for unrolling an elasticmaterial in sheet form from a roll. The material concerned is materialthat has been wound on the roll under flexural pretension andconsequently tries to return to the extended state from the rolled-upstate. An example of such a material which may be mentioned is sheetmetal, in particular sheet aluminium such as is used for the productionof skin panels in aviation and aerospace. In this context the sheetaluminium can be used to make a laminate of various aluminium layersthat are joined to one another by an adhesive fibre matrix material.Such laminates have a low weight in combination with excellentmechanical properties, such as high rigidity and strength, excellentfatigue characteristics and a high nick resistance to cracking.

[0002] Such laminates are usually made up of several layers. In order tokeep the thickness of the laminate within certain limits, fairly thinsheet aluminium has to be used, for example with a thickness of between0.2 and 0.5 mm. Such thin aluminium sheets are difficult to handle, alsobecause of the highly elastic nature thereof that has been indicatedabove. Moreover, the aluminium sheet must not be damaged duringprocessing. Any damage would have a severe adverse effect on the fatiguecharacteristics. This is unacceptable, especially in the case ofapplications in aviation and aerospace.

[0003] Increasingly large panels are being used for the skin of the bodyand the wings when constructing larger aircraft. For this reason as wellit is becoming increasingly problematical to handle the fairly thinaluminium sheets used for this in an appropriate manner.

[0004] The aim of the invention is, therefore, to offer a solution tothe problems that arise when handling thin sheets of material. This aimis realised with a device for unrolling an elastic material in sheetform from a coil, comprising a frame having an accommodation for saidcoil and a series of roller members, the axes of which are essentiallyparallel, said series of roller members is arranged in accordance with acurved path that adjoins an out-feed such that the coil can be supportedby the series of roller members and the material in sheet form can beunrolled from the coil via the out-feed, the length of each rollingmember being at least smaller than half of the width of saidaccommodation for said coil and successive rollers are offset withrespect to one another in the direction of their axis and overlap oneanother at least partially transversely to their axis.

[0005] By this arrangement the coil is substantially supported on eachpoint during uncoiling.

[0006] Depending from the diameter the number of rolling members will bechosen.

[0007] The device is in particular suited for handling of relativelythin wide elastic material in sheet form. The thickness is for examplebetween 0.1 and 1.0 mm more preferable between 0.2 and 0.6 mm. The widthcan be between 0.3 and 2 m, although larger widths are possible. Thelength of the coiled material can vary from several meters to manydozens of meters.

[0008] The coil of elastic material in sheet form can be placed in thedevice according to the invention while still in the restrained state.Restraint of the coil can then be released, which has the result thatthe material in sheet form starts to unroll under the influence of itspretension. However, this unrolling process is arrested as soon as thematerial in sheet form makes contact with the roller members. Unrollingthen ceases, after which the material is ready to be fed out in acontrolled manner via the out-feed. As a consequence of feeding out, thematerial unrolls ever further, during which operation said material issupported by the co-rotating roller members in a stable manner. Duringthis operation the material is preferably fed out directly onto a tablefor further processing of the material.

[0009] In connection with reliable support, the curved path defined bythe roller members preferably extends over more than 180 degrees. Theseries of roller members can comprise at least two sections which can bemoved relative to one another between a position in which the series isregularly curved and a position in which the sections are a relativelylarge distance apart for inserting a coil between those sections. Inthis case one section of the series is fixed with respect to the frameand another section is movable. The series of roller members can thus beopened in order to place the coil of material in sheet form in thedevice; the device can then be closed so as to support the coil allround. The best guiding of the roll of material in sheet form isobtained if the series of roller members is arranged in accordance witha curvature of essentially 360 degrees.

[0010] The out-feed is defined between two successive roller members ofthe series which have a centre-to-centre distance that is greater thanthe spacing between the other roller members. Furthermore, the out-feedcan have a set of roller members positioned in accordance with astraight path, which set adjoins the curved series.

[0011] The roller members can be constructed in a wide variety ofdifferent ways. For example, they can comprise a roller that issupported in the frame by means of a suitable bearing such that it isable to rotate. By overlapping arrangement of the roller members, andmore particular the rollers, full support is obtained. Preferably atleast two series of rollers are provided overlapping. However three,four or more rollers are positioned adjacent to each other, i.e. thelength of each roller or roller member is a third, a quarter or lessfrom the “width” of the accommodation for the roller.

[0012] The invention also relates to a method for uncoiling of anelastic material in sheet form from a coil, comprising positioning ofsaid coil in an accommodation of a device and exerting a cooling forceon the free extremity of said coil, wherein said coil is supported by aseries of rolling members engaging to the circumference of said coilover at least 180° of the circumference of said coil on each point ofsaid coil. If successive rollers are offset with respect to one anotherin the direction of their axis, the rollers can overlap one anothertransversely to their axis. With this embodiment excellent guiding ofthe roll is obtained because the spacing between the mutually offsetrollers is relatively small.

[0013] The invention will now be explained in more detail below withreference to a few illustrative embodiments shown in the figures.

[0014]FIG. 1 shows the principle of the device according to theinvention.

[0015]FIG. 2 shows a side view of a practical embodiment in the closedposition.

[0016]FIG. 3 shows a section according to III-III in FIG. 2.

[0017] The device according to the invention shown diagrammatically inFIG. 1 comprises a frame 1 in which a series 2 consisting of rollermembers 3 is accommodated. The series 2 has a virtually completelycircular shape that is interrupted only at the location of the out-feed4. This out-feed 4 opens onto a number of roller members positioned inaccordance with a straight path 5.

[0018] As is shown, the series 2 comprises two sections 6, 7 that arejoined to one another via a hinge 8. The section 6 can consequently, asis indicated by broken lines, be moved upwardly with respect to thesecond, fixed section 7 of the series 2. In the higher position a coil 9of elastic material in sheet form can be placed in contact with thesecond part 7 of the series 2. The first section 6 of the series 2 isthen pivoted back, as a result of which the position indicated bycontinuous lines is reached.

[0019] In this latter position the coil 9 is virtually completelysurrounded by roller members 3. When the coil 9 is released, for exampleby removing therefrom tapes that hold it in the rolled-up state, theelastic material 10 in sheet form will initially unroll. This unrollingis stopped as soon as contact is made with the roller members 3. In thisstate the front portion of the roll can be unrolled to give a straightstrip 10. This straight strip 10 can then be taken up on the rollermembers 3 positioned in accordance with a straight path 5.

[0020] When the coil 9 is unrolled in this way the thin, vulnerablematerial in sheet form is well protected against damage, as a result ofwhich sheet material suitable for further processing is obtained on thestraight path 5.

[0021] The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only shows the principle of thedevice according to the invention. A further developed illustrativeembodiment of the device is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This devicecomprises the components already shown with reference to FIG. 1, such asa first section 6, which is able to hinge, of the series 2 and a second,fixed section 7 of the series 2. These sections are accommodated on aframe part 11 that is joined by means of hinge 12 to a fixed frame part13.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the roller members 3 are constructed asrollers 14, each of which is accommodated on an axle 15. Each axle 15carries two such rollers 14, which are positioned offset with respect tothe rollers 14 of the adjacent axles 15. The rollers 14 are consequentlyable to overlap one another to some extent in the peripheral directionof the series 2, as a result of which very good support of the coil 9 tobe processed is ensured. This is particularly true for uncoiling thelast turn of a coil. More particularly the extreme edge of the coilmaterial is accurately guided along overlapping rollers. Because of thatdamage of this extreme portion is prevented and can have its proper use.

[0023] The following may be mentioned as examples of metals from whichthe sheet material can be made: Al, Ti, Sc, Cu, Mg and Li.

1. Device for unrolling an elastic material in sheet form from a coil,comprising a frame having an accommodation for said coil and a series ofroller members, the axes of which are essentially parallel, said seriesof roller members is arranged in accordance with a curved path thatadjoins an out-feed such that the coil can be supported by the series ofroller members and the material in sheet form can be unrolled from thecoil via the out-feed, the length of each rolling member being at leastsmaller than half of the width of said accommodation for said coil andsuccessive rollers are offset with respect to one another in thedirection of their axis and overlap one another at least partiallytransversely to their axis.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein thecurved path extends over more than 180 degrees.
 3. Device according toclaim 1, wherein the series of roller members comprises at least twosections which can be moved relative to one another between a positionin which the series is regularly curved and a position in which thesections are a relatively large distance apart for inserting a coilbetween said sections.
 4. Device according to claim 3, wherein onesection of the series is fixed with respect to the frame and anothersection is movable.
 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein one sectionof the series is able to hinge.
 6. Device according to claim 1, whereinthe series is arranged in accordance with a curvature of essentially 360degrees.
 7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the series has a lowersection that is curved through more than 180 degrees.
 8. Deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the out-feed is defined between twosuccessive roller members of the series which have a centre-to-centredistance that is greater than the spacing between the other rollermembers.
 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the out-feed has a setof roller members positioned in accordance with a straight path, whichset adjoins the curved series.
 10. Device according to claim 1, whereinthe roller members each comprise a roller.
 11. Method for uncoiling ofan elastic material in sheet form from a coil, comprising positioning ofsaid coil in an accommodation of a device and exerting a cooling forceon the fee extremity of said coil, wherein said coil is supported by aseries of rolling members engaging to the circumference of said coilover at least 180° of the circumference of said coil on each point ofsaid coil.